Introductory Pages

January 4–10

“Another Testament of Jesus Christ”

Preparing to Teach in Primary

Begin your preparation to teach by reading the introductory material of the Book of Mormon (the pages that precede 1 Nephi) before studying any supplemental material. Prepare your teaching plan, and record your thoughts and impressions. You might also use some of the ideas on the next page or in Come, Follow Me for individuals and families.

Encourage Sharing

• How can you encourage the children to share the feelings and experiences they had as they studied these scriptures individually and with their families? How can you also involve children who may not have read in advance?

Teach the Doctrine

• As you teach the doctrine found in the introductory material of the Book of Mormon, what verses, quotations, experiences, questions, and other resources might you share with the children? How might you use these resources to help children learn gospel principles? How can you encourage children to act on the truths they learn in class?

Encourage Sharing and Learning at Home

• What can the children share at home with their families? How can you encourage them to continue to learn about the Book of Mormon at home?

My Teaching Plan

Improving Our Teaching

Help children learn from the scriptures.

Young children may not be able to read much, but you can still engage them in learning from the scriptures. You may need to focus on a single verse or even just a key phrase. Sometimes, you might read a passage and invite them to stand up or raise their hand when they hear a specific word or phrase that you want to focus on.

Additional Ideas

Use one or more of the activities below to help children learn about how the Book of Mormon testifies of Christ. You may also use your own activities to teach other truths that you find in the introductory pages of the Book of Mormon.

Title Page. The Book of Mormon helps me have faith in Jesus.

• Do the children you teach see the Book of Mormon as another testament of Jesus Christ, or just a collection of interesting stories? How can you help them see its purpose—“the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ”? Would they enjoy acting out stories from the Book of Mormon that teach of Christ—such as the story of Samuel the Lamanite (see Helaman 14–16) or the Brother of Jared (see Ether 2–3)? How can these and other stories from the Book of Mormon help them build their faith in Christ?

Introduction. The Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion.

• Joseph Smith’s comparison of the Book of Mormon to a keystone might be an effective way for children to understand the importance of the Book of Mormon. You could use a picture or drawing to show them how a keystone holds an arch together, or they could build a small arch out of blocks. What does it mean that the Book of Mormon is the “keystone of our religion”? How can knowing that it is true help strengthen our faith in other things, like the Savior or the Prophet Joseph Smith? Hearing about how your testimony has been strengthened by the Book of Mormon could be very powerful for the children. What else do they learn about the value of the Book of Mormon from Joseph Smith’s words in the sixth paragraph of the introduction to the Book of Mormon?

See also the picture of the arch in Come, Follow Me for individuals and families.

“The Testimony of Three Witnesses,” “The Testimony of Eight Witnesses,” and “The Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith.” I can be a witness of the Book of Mormon.

• The children you teach have likely had experiences in which they relied on someone else’s testimony—perhaps they tried a new food or a new game at the encouragement of someone they trusted. How could you use these experiences to teach them about the importance of witnesses? As you explore the testimonies of the Book of Mormon witnesses, what impressions come to you and the children?

See also the picture of Joseph Smith receiving the plates in Come, Follow Me for individuals and families.

Sharing Time

Singing Time

Help the children learn the gospel through music.

• For ideas of songs the children could sing, see “Book of Mormon” in the topics index of the Children’s Songbook.

Sharing by Children

Create opportunities for children to share how they are learning and living the gospel.

• You might invite children to share their testimonies of the Book of Mormon or tell stories about people in the Book of Mormon, including Jesus Christ.